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<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Plantaform Rejuvenate is a smart indoor garden available for $540. It’s an all-in-one garden structure that only requires power for the grow lights and for you to add water and the included fertilizer when it runs low; thankfully, the app gives you notifications and detailed instructions. Unfortunately, you can’t easily […] More
Valeriia Mitriakova/Getty Images Looking for advice on how to protect your home and office from cyberattacks? A good place to start is with the people who do this work every day on behalf of the US government. The folks at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have created a simple Cybersecurity Basics page […] More
Elyse Betters Picaro/ZDNETI have spent a lot of time writing about how battery wear is a fact of life, and the more a battery is used, the more it will wear. It is a consumable item, and it will wear. Also: 12 Android phone settings you should change to dramatically increase battery lifeBut there are also things that we can do to prevent battery wear. A research paper led by Jihyun Hong at Postech and Jongsoon Kim at Sungkyunkwan University on EV (electric vehicle) batteries uncovers a new enemy — too much discharge. Discharging EV batteries harms themWithout getting too deep into the chemistry and physics of battery wear, the study discusses a newly identified mechanism of oxygen loss in layered oxide cathodes used in lithium-ion batteries, specifically during the discharge process at voltages below 3.0V. Because of this additional wear, the study emphasizes the importance of carefully setting DCOVs (discharge cut-off voltages) to slow down degradation and improve battery longevity. Basically, excessively discharging batteries harms them. What about the batteries in our devices?While the study is limited to EV batteries, can we assume that this chemistry applies to the lithium-ion batteries found in smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other similar devices? Yes and no. Also: iOS 18.4 update draining your iPhone’s battery? Try these 6 fixesTo strike a good balance between battery runtime and battery life, the typical point at which the battery management controller (a circuit that controls the charge and discharge of rechargeable batteries) sets the DCOV cutoff is normally around 2.8 to 3.0V. So, batteries in all sorts of devices dip below that 3.0V damaging discharge point mentioned in the study. But not all batteries will go that low, and I have found that higher-end devices and devices built to better handle temperature extremes have more conservative battery management and might cut off at 3.3V. For reference, iPhone batteries that I have tested appear to have DCOVs in the range of 3.1 to 3.3V and do not normally go below the 3.0V threshold, so they should not be subject to the damage highlighted by the study. More
<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Woburn 3 is the most expensive home audio speaker from Marshall. It has fantastic sound quality, strong bass, and clear mids. However, the system only supports the SBC codec. –> The Marshall Woburn 3<!–> commands a premium price, and while it’s not the best value on specs alone, its rich, […] More
Prakhar Khanna/ZDNETSamsung’s One UI 7 is my favorite Android skin right now. It is fast, responsive, and intuitive. But nothing comes fine-tuned to your experience straight out of the box. You need to personalize your smartphone to make it more appealing. I change almost a dozen settings on every Samsung Galaxy phone to best suit my needs, and I believe these will elevate your user experience, too. Also: The best Samsung phones to buyFrom setting the highest available screen resolution to more privacy-focused features, here are 11 Galaxy phone settings that I recommend changing to enhance your Galaxy phone experience. Please note that some settings might be phone-specific.1. Turn off pop-up notifications More
<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Tessan 65W GaN Universal Travel Adapter retails for $42. It’s the perfect size, weight, and power output for traveling. It doesn’t convert mains AC voltage, and the USB ports on the bottom can be tricky to use. –> Gone are the days of packing multiple chargers with different connectors when […] More
<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Mullvad VPN has a unique fixed-pricing system for short- and long-term subscribers. The VPN is optimized to provide strong protection and achieves top speeds ideal for high-bandwidth browsing and streaming. Mullvad lacks native apps for some devices, has a small server count, and limits simultaneous connections. –> Mullvad is a VPN […] More
<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways OnePlus 13R starts at $599 and features a bright display, powerful performance, and fast charging. It doesn’t have a flagship camera system and wireless charging. But for the money, you won’t find a more balanced handset. more buying choices As part of a new promotion, OnePlus is offering a free Sandstone […] More
